Safe Apartment Buildings Program

Once a building is registered, City Municipal Law Enforcement Officers will complete an evaluation to assess the building’s overall condition and maintenance practices.

Evaluations include: 

• Inspecting the building interior and exterior common areas
• Reviewing records and service request processes
• Speaking with tenants if needed
• Assigning an evaluation score

Each building will receive an evaluation score based on these findings.  The score determines when your next evaluation will be scheduled. You must fix any issues identified during an evaluation. 

Evaluation Score and Next Steps:

• 85% or higher: Next evaluation in 3 years
• 51% to 84%: Next evaluation in 2 years
• 50% or lower: An audit will be scheduled 

Building Evaluation scores must be posted on the Tenant Notification Board inside the building and will be published on the City’s website. 

Audits

An audit will be conducted if your building scores 50% or lower.

• Audit fee: $2,123 + HST (fees may increase annually under the City of Hamilton’s User Fees and Charges By-law)

Audits include:

• Inspection and assessment of building’s physical condition 
• Unit-by-unit inspection based on tenant reports
• Tenant engagement (door knocking)
• Review of building standards and record-keeping

After the audit, you must fix all by-law violations. Audit results will be made public. 

To stay compliant after successfully registering your building, building owners/operators must: 

• Follow the mandatory plans submitted during registration 
• Provide copies of plans to tenants upon request or when doing related work 
• Set up a process to receive, address, and record Tenant Service Requests
• Keep records of all Tenant Service Requests and maintenance activities for at least 30 months from the record creation date
• Maintain a voluntary contact list of tenants who need additional assistance during emergencies or service disruptions
• Install and maintain a Tenant Notification Board in a common area that is easy for tenants to access. Keep the board up to date with information that affects tenants
• Use a certified tradesperson where required by law 
• Provide City staff access to the building for inspections, evaluations, audits, or compliance checks
• Notify the City within 7 days of any changes to building registration plans, contacts, or ownership by emailing [email protected]. If building ownership changes, a new registration is required. 

Building owners must not rent or offer to rent a vacant unit if:

• The unit does not meet minimum maintenance standards under the City’s  Property Standards By-law
• There are property standards orders issued against the unit
• Vital services to the unit have been discontinued 
• There is a known pest infestation in the unit

A Tenant Service Request is a formal request made by a tenant to the building owner or operator to fix a problem in:

• Your rental unit, or
• The building’s interior or exterior 

Tip: Keep a copy of all Tenant Service Requests for follow-up and documentation.  

A request is urgent if it involves: 

• Loss or interruption of vital services (electricity, gas, heat, water)
• A security breach, such as broken locks or unsafe entryways
• Any condition that affects life safety or makes the unit unlivable

Responding means confirming they received the request and advising: 

• What will be done, and
• When repairs will happen

If your building owner or landlord does not confirm what will be done and when, you should reach out to the City by emailing [email protected] or calling 905-546-2782 (option 1) in any of the following situations: 

• Urgent request is not acknowledged in 24 hours
• Pest inspection is not acknowledged in 72 hours
• Non-urgent request is not acknowledged in 5 days
• Building owner or landlord responds to service request but does not follow through with the repair